A REVIEW ON NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L. AND ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS

Phoenix dactilifera L. (ajwa dates) is a soft dry fruit mainly cultivated in Medina al Munawara. Dating back to 5000 B.C., It was also a part of Tibwe – Nabwi (The Prophet (PBUH)'s the way of using plants and naturals as medicine), and ajwa was dominant in this field. It was used to cure different diseases and was also used for protection against evil. The use of date fruit taught by the Prophet is now being supported with strong scientific evidence and is trending research worldwide. The amount of macro and micronutrients, phytochemicals, and a considerable number of bioactive components make Ajwa effective against diabetes, PCOS, various types of cancers, liver, and heart diseases, against different toxicities, fertility, and infertility in both men and women, altering hormonal activities in the brain and is still further researched for various other benefits. The article gives a general description of Ajwa Dates, focusing on their nutrient composition and functions on the human body. Objective: Due to limited research, this article can be used to study the nutrient composition of Ajwa in comparison to various dates, along with its functions as it is already considered a potential nutraceutical agent. Ajwa is considered a dominant fruit, further pointing out more of its previously unknown functionalities, making it a potential agent in preventing disease, thus impacting various food and health markets worldwide. Methodology: 150-200 articles were selected. Out of these articles, 70-80 were short-listed. The exact mechanisms on how these dates work on the body were also excluded. Data on the composition and importance of the data is included. The research was studied thoroughly, and data was collected and plagiarized from 77 articles for this review.